diff --git a/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/main/ws_echo_server.c b/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/main/ws_echo_server.c
index f79cfcceedc..ff02b08863a 100644
--- a/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/main/ws_echo_server.c
+++ b/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/main/ws_echo_server.c
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ static void ws_async_send(void *arg)
     free(resp_arg);
 }
 
+static void ws_ping_send(void *arg)
+{
+    struct async_resp_arg *resp_arg = arg;
+    httpd_handle_t hd = resp_arg->hd;
+    int fd = resp_arg->fd;
+    httpd_ws_frame_t ping_pkt;
+    memset(&ping_pkt, 0, sizeof(httpd_ws_frame_t));
+    ping_pkt.type = HTTPD_WS_TYPE_PING;
+    httpd_ws_send_frame_async(hd, fd, &ping_pkt);
+    free(resp_arg);
+}
+
 static esp_err_t trigger_async_send(httpd_handle_t handle, httpd_req_t *req)
 {
     struct async_resp_arg *resp_arg = malloc(sizeof(struct async_resp_arg));
@@ -67,6 +79,22 @@ static esp_err_t trigger_async_send(httpd_handle_t handle, httpd_req_t *req)
     return ret;
 }
 
+
+static esp_err_t trigger_ping_send(httpd_handle_t handle, httpd_req_t *req)
+{
+    struct async_resp_arg *resp_arg = malloc(sizeof(struct async_resp_arg));
+    if (resp_arg == NULL) {
+        return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
+    }
+    resp_arg->hd = req->handle;
+    resp_arg->fd = httpd_req_to_sockfd(req);
+    esp_err_t ret = httpd_queue_work(handle, ws_ping_send, resp_arg);
+    if (ret != ESP_OK) {
+        free(resp_arg);
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_EXAMPLE_ENABLE_WS_PRE_HANDSHAKE_CB
 static esp_err_t ws_pre_handshake_cb(httpd_req_t *req)
 {
@@ -127,10 +155,14 @@ static esp_err_t echo_handler(httpd_req_t *req)
     }
     ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Packet type: %d", ws_pkt.type);
     if (ws_pkt.type == HTTPD_WS_TYPE_TEXT &&
-        ws_pkt.payload != NULL &&
-        strcmp((char*)ws_pkt.payload,"Trigger async") == 0) {
-        free(buf);
-        return trigger_async_send(req->handle, req);
+        ws_pkt.payload != NULL) {
+        if (strncmp((char *)ws_pkt.payload, "Trigger async", strlen("Trigger async")) == 0) {
+            free(buf);
+            return trigger_async_send(req->handle, req);
+        } else if (strncmp((char *)ws_pkt.payload, "Ping", strlen("Ping")) == 0) {
+            free(buf);
+            return trigger_ping_send(req->handle, req);
+        }
     }
 
     ret = httpd_ws_send_frame(req, &ws_pkt);
@@ -210,7 +242,6 @@ static void connect_handler(void* arg, esp_event_base_t event_base,
     }
 }
 
-
 void app_main(void)
 {
     static httpd_handle_t server = NULL;
diff --git a/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/pytest_ws_server_example.py b/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/pytest_ws_server_example.py
index f5d35f1926a..254e60cad88 100644
--- a/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/pytest_ws_server_example.py
+++ b/examples/protocols/http_server/ws_echo_server/pytest_ws_server_example.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class WsClient:
         self.uri = uri
 
     def __enter__(self):  # type: ignore
-        self.ws.connect('ws://{}:{}/{}'.format(self.ip, self.port, self.uri))
+        self.ws.connect(f'ws://{self.ip}:{self.port}/{self.uri}')
         return self
 
     def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):  # type: ignore
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def test_examples_protocol_http_ws_echo_server(dut: Dut) -> None:
     # Get binary file
     binary_file = os.path.join(dut.app.binary_path, 'ws_echo_server.bin')
     bin_size = os.path.getsize(binary_file)
-    logging.info('http_ws_server_bin_size : {}KB'.format(bin_size // 1024))
+    logging.info(f'http_ws_server_bin_size : {bin_size // 1024}KB')
 
     logging.info('Starting ws-echo-server test app based on http_server')
 
@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@ def test_examples_protocol_http_ws_echo_server(dut: Dut) -> None:
         ap_ssid = get_env_config_variable(env_name, 'ap_ssid')
         ap_password = get_env_config_variable(env_name, 'ap_password')
         dut.write(f'{ap_ssid} {ap_password}')
-    got_ip = dut.expect(r'IPv4 address: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+)[^\d]', timeout=30)[1].decode()
+    got_ip = dut.expect(r'IPv4 address: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+)[^\d]', timeout=60)[1].decode()
     got_port = dut.expect(r"Starting server on port: '(\d+)'", timeout=30)[1].decode()
 
-    logging.info('Got IP   : {}'.format(got_ip))
-    logging.info('Got Port : {}'.format(got_port))
+    logging.info(f'Got IP   : {got_ip}')
+    logging.info(f'Got Port : {got_port}')
 
     # Start ws server test
     with WsClient(got_ip, int(got_port), uri='ws') as ws:
@@ -77,24 +77,58 @@ def test_examples_protocol_http_ws_echo_server(dut: Dut) -> None:
         for expected_opcode in [OPCODE_TEXT, OPCODE_BIN, OPCODE_PING]:
             ws.write(data=DATA, opcode=expected_opcode)
             opcode, data = ws.read()
-            logging.info('Testing opcode {}: Received opcode:{}, data:{}'.format(expected_opcode, opcode, data))
+            logging.info(f'Testing opcode {expected_opcode}: Received opcode:{opcode}, data:{data}')
             data = data.decode()
             if expected_opcode == OPCODE_PING:
-                dut.expect('Got a WS PING frame, Replying PONG')
                 if opcode != OPCODE_PONG or data != DATA:
-                    raise RuntimeError('Failed to receive correct opcode:{} or data:{}'.format(opcode, data))
+                    raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode} or data:{data}')
                 continue
             dut_data = dut.expect(r'Got packet with message: ([A-Za-z0-9_]*)')[1]
             dut_opcode = dut.expect(r'Packet type: ([0-9]*)')[1].decode()
 
             if opcode != expected_opcode or data != DATA or opcode != int(dut_opcode) or (data not in str(dut_data)):
-                raise RuntimeError('Failed to receive correct opcode:{} or data:{}'.format(opcode, data))
+                raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode} or data:{data}')
+        # Test async send - server queues the work, so we need to wait for it to be processed
+        logging.info('Testing async send')
         ws.write(data='Trigger async', opcode=OPCODE_TEXT)
+        # Wait for server to receive and queue the async send
+        dut.expect(r'Got packet with message: Trigger async', timeout=10)
+        # Now read the async response (server processes work queue asynchronously)
         opcode, data = ws.read()
-        logging.info('Testing async send: Received opcode:{}, data:{}'.format(opcode, data))
+        logging.info(f'Testing async send: Received opcode:{opcode}, data:{data}')
         data = data.decode()
         if opcode != OPCODE_TEXT or data != 'Async data':
-            raise RuntimeError('Failed to receive correct opcode:{} or data:{}'.format(opcode, data))
+            raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode} or data:{data}')
+        # Test ping from server
+        logging.info('Testing server-initiated ping')
+        ws.write(data='Ping', opcode=OPCODE_TEXT)
+        # Wait for server to receive the message and send a ping
+        dut.expect(r'Got packet with message: Ping', timeout=10)
+        # Now read the ping response
+        opcode, data = ws.read()
+        logging.info(f'Testing server-initiated ping: Received opcode:{opcode}, data:{data}')
+        data = data.decode()
+        if opcode != OPCODE_PING:
+            raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode}')
+        # Now we should get a pong in response to our ping
+        opcode, data = ws.read()
+        data = data.decode()
+        if opcode != OPCODE_PONG:
+            raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode}')
+        ws.write(data='Ping', opcode=OPCODE_TEXT)
+        # Wait for server to receive the message and send a ping
+        dut.expect(r'Got packet with message: Ping', timeout=10)
+        # Now read the ping response
+        opcode, data = ws.read()
+        logging.info(f'Testing server-initiated ping: Received opcode:{opcode}, data:{data}')
+        data = data.decode()
+        if opcode != OPCODE_PING:
+            raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode}')
+        # Now we should get a pong in response to our ping
+        opcode, data = ws.read()
+        data = data.decode()
+        if opcode != OPCODE_PONG:
+            raise RuntimeError(f'Failed to receive correct opcode:{opcode}')
 
 
 @pytest.mark.wifi_router